Mobile Beat

Tonight at 9 pm Eastern, we dig into a topic from one of our viewers!!

We are talking about methods and strategies for setting your travel rates as a professional mobile DJ! DJNTV • Disc Jockey News TV

Join Dan Carpenter, Andy Powell and John Young as we look at various methods and give thoughts on the pros and cons of each method.

Tips For Calculating Travel and Dealing With Travel Expenses With Your Mobile DJ Events #DJNTV Tips For Calculating Travel and Dealing With Travel Expenses With Your Mobile DJ Events with Dan Carpenter, Cubbie Powell and John Young Sponsors: htt...

Big News!

Mobile Beat Magazine is coming back to print (and digital delivery) very soon.

Sign up for a free issue of the all new Mobile Beat magazine when we launch this June by going to www.mobilebeat.com/free

We’ll be holding a raffle for a 2024 MEX/PBX Key Pass (or a full refund if you bought a pass this week) from everyone who signs up for a free trial or paid subscription by tomorrow at 5pm.

Mobile Beat 2.0 is the all new bi-monthly digital and print magazine of record for mobile entertainment professionals, with content for DJs, photo boothers, lighting and production companies.

Learn more about Mobile Beat and subscribe today with a $10 show discount using code EXPO at www.mobilebeat.com

https://www.buzzsprout.com/980029/12120618

Previewing 2023 PBX & MEX shows with Mike Cordeiro - DJ Idea Sharing Podcast Network Mike Fernino offers a preview of the 2023 Photo Booth Expo and Mobile Entertainment Expo with the show director, Mike Cordeiro from MC Productions in Tiverton Rhode Island. Mike C covers the schedule plans for this year's show February 20-23, 2023...

FYI. Big Announcement from Mobile Beat Magazine coming soon!

Stay tuned. Updates coming

Excited to be part of the team bringing a new cooler, hipper more relevant Mobile Beat Magazine to you soon

The magazine that transformed the DJ industry is coming back in a big way! Stay tuned for updates and press releases

How Should I Deal With Cancellations?

This is a difficult one and a question I get asked a lot by suppliers. Truth is you'd be perfectly within your rights to activate the terms of your contract under normal circumstances, but everybody agrees Coronavirus is far from normal.

I can't advise what you should do, but I will let you know how I've personally handled cancellations during these awful times... I let them go.

My Ts & Cs clearly state that if a couple cancels within two months of their wedding, the full fee is payable but under the cloud of Covid-19, activating this does not feel right.

Couples have contacted me, devastated about their wedding and worried about the cost of cancelling the day. I've always reacted in the same way, saying "My heart goes out to both of you, I can only imagine the extra concerns this awful virus is heaping upon you, this is why I have thrown my terms and conditions out of the window because this is not your fault at all..."

I try to work towards a postponement, and most do, but some have cancelled, and I've refunded them.

But let me also tell you about two couples who flipped my approach on me.

Stephen and Charlie had paid for their wedding in full. Due to the Conroanvirus, they've had to postpone until next year. But here's the thing, they strongly insisted to the point it was pointless me saying "no" that they should pay me 50% more to re-schedule!!! I was so moved I could not believe it. Needless to say, I will find a way to make sure their wedding is extra special.

Then there's Charlotte & Thomas, who've pushed their nuptials back to November, and have insisted on paying me as soon as possible because they have self-employed friends and understand the financial pressures this awful disease causes business owners.

Ultimately, you have to do what is right for your circumstances; I can't stress enough that there is no right or wrong approach - just what's right for you. Even before my two extraordinary couples reached out to me with their gestures of kindness, I'd decided I could not request payments for any cancellations because there is a much bigger picture going on than just business here.

Whatever you decide will be right for you. Go with your head AND your heart - but ultimately let your gut guide you.

Stay safe

Weddings On Lockdown
Surviving The Change
One of the downsides to being a wedding professional is the lack of cash flow during winter months due to reduced weddings, and this is why Coronavirus could not have hit our wedding industry at a worst time.

Many suppliers relied on full payments from cancelled or postponed weddings to get back on top of their finances, but the painful reality is few if any weddings will take place this summer, adding financial panic to the real fear of Coronavirus.

Many suppliers have no idea how they are going to pay the rent or mortgage or take care of their families. In addition to all these uncertainties, indicators suggest world experts will not get Coronavirus under control until the other side of summer, meaning you may not get you next fully paid-up booking until autumn. These two measures that are working for me, and can work for you too, will help you successfully transition into survival mode.

1 Deposits from 2021 and 2022 weddings could be your saving grace
How many deposits will you need to pay your primary monthly bills? Make that your target.

You have a big opportunity here because couples are still planning weddings next year and beyond based on the hope that this devastating disease diminishes. And this is why I advise you to step-up, don't shrink, stay positive and make winning future business your number one goal. Deposits will be your saving grace, but you'll have to increase your visibility and the quality of your marketing and sales processes to give yourself the chance of winning new business.

2 Encourage postponements, not cancellations.
Secondly, encourage couples in the midst of this crisis to postpone their wedding to the autumn or winter instead of cancelling. This strategy means you will still get paid, albeit months later.

Stay safe.